Live8: Now I'm Pissed

Went for a short stretch and picked up some of Live8 on the tele. John Norris looks exactly the same -- which is kinda' creepy. Saw "The Verve" do "Bittersweet Symphony." Not too bad. Too long, maybe...

Zipped to an interview/soliloquy on why Sir Paul McCartney thinks he's so cool for finally (because we've been waiting with 'baited breath) to do "Sgt. Peppers" live for the first time. Whatever.

Zip to the whole Live8 concept complete with flashbacks from the first Live Aid way back in '85. Went a little bit like this:

"All the money raised for Live Aid (after the promoters and performers were paid) didn't solve the poverty problem in Africa so what to do? Well, there's only one man for this job! Sir Bob Geldolf. No one else. Nope. He's gonna' solve this problem this time around. No doubt. Yeah. What'a'ya' think Bobby?"

" 'Wull, it's a pretty sad t'ing that people are still starvin' after we sent all that money to their warlords 20 years ago and they still refused to feed them and kept all the food for themselves. Pretty sad. We're not asking people for any money to come to the concerts. We're not asking people for phoned-in contribushuns 'cause we got taken for a ride by the promoters last time... We just want people to educate themselves about the problems in Africa. People 'r dyin'. Dyin'! And thas' a pretty sad t'ing, you know?'

"Bono? What about you?"

" 'Wull, governments like writin' checks, they just don't like cashin' checks, you know... Tha's the problem.' "

"So while the rest of the industrialized world has gotten richer and more developed! Huh? *nod, nod* Huh? Africa has lagged behind. And the G8 Summit is coming up. That's no coincidence! Live8 -- G8? Huh? *nod, nod* Huh? Pressure your leaders to give all your tax dollars to this cause. Because so far, they haven't done anything. They ride around in their private jets all day wearing their suits and stealing the bread out of these babies' mouths. Force them to give all your tax dollars. Force them to make this a socialist global economy. That will solve this problem. The warlords are getting skinnier as we speak. They need more money. So impeach Present Bush and Prime Minister Blair. We need Hitler and Pol Pot. Come on. Raise your fist and act like you can change this. If you just close your eyes, sway to the beat, and concentrate REAL hard, all this will go away!"

(Yes, I'm yelling at the tele):

BECAUSE WE DIDN'T JUST ELIMINATE ALL THEIR FRIGGIN' DEBT AND TAKE THEM BACK TO ZERO! BECAUSE PRESIDENT BUSH HASN'T GIVEN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO AIDS PREVENTION AND RELIEF IN AFRICA! BECAUSE HE DIDN'T JUST TRY TO GET BILLIONS APPROVED TO BE SENT TO AFRICA SPECIFICALLY FOR POVERTY RELIEF AND GOT SHOT DOWN BY THE SENATE! BECAUSE BUSH HASN'T SPENT MORE MONEY THAN ANY OTHER PRESIDENT IN UNITED STATES HISTORY ON DEBT AND POVERTY RELIEF TO AFRICA!

How, HOW can they lie so blatantly in the face of the truth and think that anything other than a real REVOLUTIONARY government IN AFRICA is going to change one DAMNED thing for those starving children?! Tribal wars for land have been raging for hundreds and hundreds of years. I'm not going to apologize for being comfortable in my home and safe in the US. I'm not going to apologize for being "rich". Know why? Because I have sent more money to foreign countries proportional to my income than most world governments. And it is my "comfortable" living that has made that possible. I pray for the starving and the suffering almost every day.

Bono: I love you and all, but if you're so damned concerned about all this, YOU give all your millions to this and quit acting like you're not a bleeding hypocrite.

Idiots.